Graveyard Shift 15 People Who Gave Their Lives for Their Cell Phones

Cell phones have become such an integral part of a person's life: they contain all of your photos, important emails, financial information, personal messages, and more. So it's understandable that some people start to see their cell phones almost as a lifeline.

As people become increasingly attached to their phones, phone-related accidents and deaths are also on the rise. A majority of accidents are from people who were too busy texting or trying to get the perfect selfie near dangerous locations. And what's worse are the deaths caused when a person puts themselves at risk to save their phone.

All of these accidents and deaths were easily avoidable, and most weren't worth it. Here are stories of people who died trying to retrieve their cell phones.

Family Dies from the Stench When Trying to Get Phone from Toilet

Photo: beaniz1/Pixabay/CC0 1.0 In China in 2014, a woman dropped her brand-new phone into an open-pit toilet (similar to an outhouse), and it fell into a cesspit. Both her husband and his mother jumped in to retrieve it; however, they were overcome by the powerful fumes. When this happened, the woman who dropped her phone jumped in after them. The woman's husband and mother died from suffocation.

Man Hit by Train Trying to Retrieve Cell Phone

Photo: pixabay In 2014, a man jumped onto the subway train tracks in Brooklyn and was hit by a passing train. The man had jumped onto the tracks just after 3am, because he had dropped his cell phone below. The train operator spotted him but couldn't stop the train in time. The victim was crushed between the platform and the train, and died at the scene.

Man Trying to Rescue Phone Is Electrocuted by the Train Track

Photo: pixabay After a man dropped his phone onto the tracks of the Christopher Street subway station in New York, he jumped down to retrieve it. In the midst of trying to pick it up, he was electrocuted by the third rail. He died from his injuries.

Teen Murdered After Using App to Find Cell Phone

Photo: London Police Service

In Ontario, Canada 18-year-old Jeremy Cook was killed after using an app to locate his missing cell phone.

After leaving his phone in a cab, he turned on the locator and was led to a residence. He and a friend were confronted outside of the home by three men, which led to an argument. As the men tried to flee in a car, Cook grabbed onto the door and was shot multiple times. Cook died from his wounds. His phone was recovered after his murder.

Police constable Ken Steeves told CBC News, "The app itself is a great tool to have... but if you suspect there's any potential for violence at all, we certainly encourage people to contact police."